Red Raiders itching to hit their home ice

ROCHESTER — The Spaulding High School boys ice hockey team likes its tight little sheet of ice at the Rochester Ice Arena.

It’s great home-ice advantage.

For the first time since 2008, the Red Raiders will get to host a Division II quarterfinal playoff game. On Saturday at 7 p.m., No. 2 Spaulding (15-2-1) will entertain No. 7 Oyster River, an 8-2 winner Wednesday over No. 10 Pembroke/Campbell.

“I like our little arena,” said Spaulding coach Paul George. “We like to put pressure on teams’ defenses. You have to make a decision very quickly. It makes things very difficult for you.”

There is some irony in that if Oyster River wins, the Red Raiders will host one of the two teams to beat them at home this season. The Bobcats did that last Saturday, 1-0, in a game where their goalie Brennan Young stopped 46 shots in picking up his first shutout of the D-II season. The Bobcats needed the win to host Wednesday’s playoff game.

Spaulding also lost to No. 1 Merrimack, 6-3.

“I’m OK with it,” said George, himself a former goalie. “We were doing well. He did a good job, He’s not going to let the backbreaker go in. He makes you earn everything you get.”

Spaulding outshot OR, 46 to 15.

“Realistically, the game could have gone either way,” said Spaulding junior forward Brent Phillips, who leads the team with 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists). “we ran into a hot goalie. We had good defense and good goaltending and we couldn’t put the puck in.”

Spaulding has been a model of consistency this season, something that George has preached all year long and something that had been missing the previous four seasons.

“They played well,” he said. “You know when you play us you’re going to be in a dogfight. That’s all I can ask of the kids.”

The defense is good, but it could be better and George lets his kids know that.

“The one thing I preach is a better commitment in front of the goal,” he said. “We’ve given up more than I wanted. They’re not 100 percent committed to the idea and that’s what it’s all about.”

Part of that could be the emphasis John Clauson, George’s high school coach, brings to the ice when he helps out.

“He’s preaching offense, the scoring thing,” George said. “So we’ve got the kids going in two different directions. Our viewpoints are night and day.”

Spaulding had proven, led by Phillips, that it can score.

The Red Raiders have two goal lines. The first features Phillps with seniors Zach Poisson (10-10-20) and Brendan Colson (5-11-16), while the second line is all sophomores: Justin Jewell (14-14-28), Zander Allen (7-14-21) and Kyle Carignan (7-4-11).

“I see no real reason to alter anything,” George said.

Defensively, three seniors and sophomore Alex Turgeon have been pretty tough.

Six-four senior Drew Pepin (4-13-17) is the leader. George refers to him as New Hampshire’s answer to the Bruins’ 6-9 defenseman Zdeno Chara.

“He can be a physical and a finesse player,” George said.

Classmates Ben Williams and Brian Chick (bogged down by two injuries last season) and Turgeon round out the rotation.

“I’m happy with what each brings each and every day,” George added.

Senior Derek Scott has been solid in net with a 2.00 goals against average.

“We feel very confident if we have a shots advantage of 45 to 15 we’re moving on to the semifinal round,” George added.

“We just need to crowd the net a little more,” Phillips added. “And take advantage of the rebounds. We’re feeling really good.”